Jim Boeheim: 'Zion Williamson's Like Charles Barkley, And Not As Fat'

"He's like Charles Barkley was, except he can shoot."

Duke Blue Devils' freshman phenom Zion Williamson has drawn comparisons to LeBron James because of his combination of size and freakish athletic ability, but Syracuse head coach Jim Boeheim sees another NBA great. Charles Barkley.

Following Syracuse's 95-91 overtime victory against Duke at Cameron Indoor on Monday night, Boeheim compared Williamson's game to how the Round Mound of Rebound used to play.

"He's like Charles Barkley was, except he can shoot," Boeheim said of Williamson, per Luke DeCock of the News & Observer. "And he's not as fat."

(Photo by Brett Deering/Getty Images)

Zion led all scorers last night with 35 points on 12-of-20 shooting to go along with 10 rebounds, but it wasn't enough for the short-handed Blye Devils to overcome the Orange's onslaught.

Syracuse's star Tyus Battle posted 32 points, four assists and four rebounds, while four other teammates finished with double-figures in the victory.

Last night's loss marked the Blue Devils' first defeat in ACC play this season and their second 'L' overall. Duke, the #1 ranked team in the country, is now sitting at 14-2 for the season. Meanwhile, Syracuse improved to 12-5 with a monster win on their resume should they find themselves on the bubble come tourney time.